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When the school year ends, most college soccer teams send their players home with workout programs and hope the players actually follow them, but that's about the extent of the training that goes on until fall camp.

Not Akron.

Akron, the alma mater of USMNT-ers Perry Kitchen and DeAndre Yedlin, went to Brazil to play four games in 10 days against Brazilian U-20 sides.

The result were mixed, with Akron losing to Sao Paulo (3-1) and Palmeiras (4-3, after being down 4-1 at one point), but beating Fluminese (3-2) and 2SV Sports (2-0), an organization that connects Brazilian players to colleges in the U.S.

The Akron players told Top Drawer Soccer that the trip was a good experience, but that could be said for any trip to Brazil unless you've been kidnapped.

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Sam Klomhaus klomhaus@the18.com | @SamKlomhausThe USMNT will improve as soon as American defenders stop kicking the ball as hard as they can whenever they get it and attempt to actually play the game of soccer (or football, or futbol. Whatever.)...more